DoD News Briefing
Thursday, October 1, 1998 - 1:15 p.m.
Presenter: Mr. Kenneth H. Bacon, ASD PA
..............
Q: Ken, your response to the Washington Post article picked up by USA Today about Mr. Ritter and others saying that the Iranians have at least three implosion type devices that could then be used for fission type nuclear weapons?
A: First, I can't confirm that they do have components of what could become nuclear weapons. We do know that Iraq has an interest in developing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The International Atomic Energy Administration, the IAEA which monitors this under UN Security Council mandates, has concluded that Iraq does not have fissile materials and does not currently have the ability to produce fissile materials. This is the necessary component to producing a nuclear weapon -- fissile material. And the IAEA believes that Iraq does not have that now, and we support that finding.
The fact that they've developed subcomponents is indicative of their ability to maintain a very expensive destructive force.
Q: If IAEA cannot find the implosion devices that are alleged to exist, how do they know for certain that the fissionable materials have not been acquired and hidden?
A: There are many ways of following such things. I know much of what these inspectors do is sort of the job of accountants going through trade records and reports and intelligence records and reports. I think the IAEA is quite confident there is not fissile material in Iraq. If it were to turn out that Iraq had secretly acquired some fissile materials it would be in violation of the United Nations Security Council mandates and it would be a very, very serious development.
Q: But we know for sure Iraq has tried and tried to get a hold of such material, correct?
A: Well, many countries try to get a hold of fissile materials, and there are fairly tough controls against sales or shipments of fissile materials in international agreements. It remains a major concern today, the possibility of illegal trafficking in fissile materials.
Q: A couple of answers ago you said that the fact that they developed subcomponents of nuclear weapons, which sounded a lot like you were confirming...
A: If they have. I don't mean to confirm it because we don't have... But if they have done that, it would be indicative of their desire to develop.
Q: On the fissile material question, they do have large piles of sort of raw materials -- uranium ore and things like that. In the past of course they had various ways of refining and concentrating uranium which we think we have a handle on. But they have the raw materials, don't they?
A: All I can tell you is my understanding is the IAEA does not believe they have the fissile materials necessary to create a nuclear weapon now.
...............Press: Thank you.
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